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Our food system is a mess

Hello. 
I posted last year and received some really good advice. I ended up getting overwhelmed with lockdown, and all that it brings. 
However, now we seem to be getting past that now, Id really like to pick up again.
The short story is that we are spending far too much, and wasting a lot too. We all end up with different meals. We are trying to save up for a mortgage as well. I can't cook, not really. I used to love it, however that's not the case any more, at all  :/

Any advice would be so very appreciated. 

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Comments

  • C_J
    C_J Posts: 3,110 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Hi GeorgieLou, welcome to the Old Style forum!  My advice would be to start reading through some of the threads already on the board, especially the Grocery Challenge and Frugal Living ones as they contain lots of really useful ideas and recipes etc.  Good luck with reducing your spending and food waste, you've made a great start by coming here for help!
  • GeorgieLou
    GeorgieLou Posts: 23 Forumite
    10 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    Thank you for the welcome C_J :)
    I have had a little read through some of the existing threads, and I'll take a look for those threads you mention too. 
  • GeorgieLou
    GeorgieLou Posts: 23 Forumite
    10 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    I feel slightly overwhelmed, and have little faith in myself to be able to cut my budget down. I have a whole freezer full of food, and no idea what to do with most of it. I have home educated children now too, so very little time also. 
    I really want to do this though, so maybe determination will pull me through  B) 
  • Floss
    Floss Posts: 8,883 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Why not list your freezer contents, along with your cupboards so the Old Stylers can suggest things?

    You could treat it as an exercise in logistics & household management for your children, or even just maths (how many / what weight) & geography (where it comes from) depending their age 😉
    2021 Decluttering Awards: ⭐⭐🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 2022 Decluttering Awards: 🥇
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  • RosyRed
    RosyRed Posts: 3,302 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Hi GeorgieLou,
    Good luck with your quest to cut down, but you don't need to do it all at once if you're feeling overwhelmed.Perhaps just plan to start with one of the things in your freezer you don't know what to do with and do a search for quick & easy ideas. Things like cooking all the ingredients on one oven tray( some ideas for traybakes on easypeasyfoodie) I know it must be hard if your children are at home all the time - I only had my granddaughter 1 day a week for home schooling in lockdown, still enough to see me racing round at the end of the day :)
    :heartsmil 'A woman is like a teabag: You never know her strength until you drop her in hot water'. (Eleanor Roosevelt)
  • Floss - I could post it up, I do have a shameful amount in there though. Right now, sitting on my laptop, I couldn't name 3 items in either my freezer or cupboards  B) 
  • 2childmum2
    2childmum2 Posts: 237 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper
    I'm not sure what sort of freezer  you have, but if it has trays take one tray out, and list what is in there.  Get the kids to help - if they are younger they just take it out and tell you what it is - divide into columns as you go e.g. things you can just chuck in the oven (breaded fish, sausages, ready meals)  then things you have to do more with - meat, chicken, fish, then other stuff like bakery stuff or ice cream.  Just start with one tray, or section.  Post you list here and we can offer suggestions - you might find you have some of the stuff you need to transform the ingredients into  a meal in your cupboards already.  
    Do you mean you are totally home educating your children (i.e. they are not registered at school and you are doing all the planning) or that they are at home but school is providing some work?  I home educated my daughter totally, and it is very time consuming - but you don't have to do as many hours as school, or all the stuff school does if you don't want to.  There are lots of websites they could get on with on their own for a bit to give you a breather, or they can do art work, or if they are younger then small world play etc is all educational.  As is helping you around the house (although that can take longer than you just doing it yourself!)
  • 2childmum2 - very helpful, thank you, I think this will be my task after lunch, I will get the kids involved. I mean totally home educating, they are not registered at school. 
  • RosyRed - I've just pinned that website, it looks really good. Thank you 
  • Hi GeorgieLou 
    I have been where you are ... sometimes im still there.  I still have a ton of food.   My advice is not to try and solve the whole problem, you will end up freaking out and getting overwhelmed.  I am currently in a similar situation... im a prepper so the problem is 20x worse i have 3 freezers and a basement full of food! Eek.  

    So this is what i've been doing and it's working!  

    Step 1 :  Go to you fridge,  throw away anything thats out of date and identify the items that need eating very soon.  

    Step 2 :  Look at the list of food that needs eating and try and find a couple of recipes to use it up,  thats your meals for the next few days.  When trying to find meals to use it for,  go look in your cupboards and freezers don't fixate on them, the aim is simply to use those things that need eating, without buying more food or doesn't require to to buy too much.   If you know 3 recipes that use up carrots and you have carrots,  but one requires you to buy 3 things, one doens't need any new things and one needs 2 items.  Make the one that doesn't need you to buy anything new.  

    Step 3 : when you've eaten the things that need eating in your fridge, move to another single point,  it can be a cupboard or freezer.  I look through and identify the things that need eating soon and move them into a basket or onto a shelf that i use for 'eat me soon food'    Do the same as you did with the fridge,  find a recipe eat day that uses something off the 'eat me soon'  section. 
     
    Step 4 :  When one 'Eat me' Spot is empty move to a different cupboard and  rotate though each cupboard one at a time... each day/week i target a new spot.  Trying to make meals out of what i have, focusing on what is currently in my target area. 

    I find by doing this it's less overwhelming,  i'm simply focusing on a small group of items, trying to find something to use them in.   I try and find recipes that need me to buy the least each time and slowly i'm getting though everything. 

    • May 2021 Grocery Challenge :  £198.72 spent / £300 Budget
    • June 2021 Grocery challenge : £354.19 spent / £300 Budget
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